Electric lamp.



H. A. DOUGLAS.

` ELECTRIC LAMP.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11. 1912.

Patented Mal. 10, 1914.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC LAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

Application led April 11, 1912. Serial No. 690,008.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, HARRY A. DOUGLAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook' and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric Lamps, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to connecting devices.

uniformly disposed owing to mechanicalerrors they may nevertheless be properly included in circuit.

Another feature of my invention resides in improved means for connecting current carrying cords with the conductors carried by the lamp or other device receiving sockets, these conductors being, as aforesaid, automatically adaptable to the terminals carried by the lamps or other devices.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanying drawing showing the preferred embodiment thereof as included in a lamp structure and in which- Figure 1 is a sectional view on line 1-1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the elements that include the lamp in circuit; F ig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 4; Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4 4 of Fig. 2; ltfig. 5 is a sectional View on line 5 5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 6 G of Fig. l; and Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line 7 7 of Fig. 1.

Like parts are indicated by similar chan aeters of reference throughout the different figures.

.lhe lamp bulb 1 incluses a lighting filament 2, which is connected with the terminals l upon the exterior of the bulb, these terminals being mounted. upon an insulating base 4 that also constitutes a mounting for the lamp bulb 1, The mounting buse lis dcbly provided with a Ametallic sheath 5, a l projecting thro and through the beyond the sheath 5 to constitute an element of the bayonet catch, the threaded sleeve 7 having bayonet slots S to receive the projecting ends of the pin G. The base 4 of the lamp may be slipped within the sleeve or shell 7 when the pin is in alinement with the branches of the bayonet slots that extend longitudinally of the structure' whereafter the base turns to bring the pin 6 into locking engagement with the locking portion of the bayonet slot. The threaded sleeve 7 is in threaded engagement with the threaded interior front portion of a containing shell 9. A plug or mounting block 10 of insulating material is in sliding relation with the threaded sleeve 7, this plug being received within the bore of said sleeve. The sleeve is provided with slots 1l extending longitudinally thereof, these slots receiving the projecting ends of a pin 12 that is carried by and which projects from the plug 10. A pin 13 establishes fixed relation between a contact element 14 and the plug 10. A spring 15, having suitable abutment, operates upon the plug 10 to force it towardl the lamp. As illustrated, the con tact 14 is provided with a barrel extension that receives the spring 15 to enable said spring to thrust the plug 10 through the intermediation of the contact 14. The coiled spring 15, in moving the plug 10 forwardly, operates to engage the contact 14 with a lamp terminal 3 and also operates to press the lamp base 4 forwardly to hold the bayonet pin (i in engagement with the holding portions of the bayonet slots, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The Contact 1G is constructed similarly to the contact 14 but is not in fixed relation with respect to the plug or contact support l() being preferably slightly received within a cylindrical passage passing longi tudinally through the plug 10. The barrel extension of the contact 16 receives a coiled spring 17, the coiled spring 17 operating to push the contact 16 forwardly without exerting any thrusting action upon the plug 'l0 whereby the contact 1G is permitted to engage the remaining lamp terminal 5 irrespectivc of the relative positions of the lamp terminals which may be out of line as much as a sixteenth of an inch owing to faults that orcui.` in manufacture. The spring 17 also serves to take part in maiu taining the bayonet pin il in locking englnigenient with the bayonet slots Sl.

rl`he rear of the shell i) is substantially closed by .-1 plug of insulating umu-whirl 18, a pin 19 holding the plug and shell in fined relation. 'Iwo tubular sleeves 2O are fixed with respect to and project therefrom toward the plug 10, the rear barrel extensions of the contacts 14 and 16 being slidably received within the bores of the sleeves 20. The rear ends of the sleeves 20 are provided with reduced openings through which reduced portions of metallic plugs 21 pass, these metallic plugs being provided with heads that slidably fit the bores of the sleeves 20. The heads of these plugs 21 conu stitute yielding abutments for the rear ends of the springs 15 and 17. A. terminal plug 22, of insulating material, carries terminal plug contacts 23 that constitute terminals of flexible cords which are connectedv with terminals of a suitable source of current 'that is to be included in circuit with the lamp.

The rear ends of the plugs 23 are socketed, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, for the purpose of receiving the ends of the flexible cords, these ends of the flexible cords being clamped in engagement with the plugs 23 by means of binding screws24. The forward ends of the plugs 23 are provided with annular grooves 25 and these forward ends are receivable within sockets 26 drilled in the plug 18 and into which sockets the rounded rear ends of the metallic plugs 21 are partially projected by the springs 15 and 17. When the plugs 23 are inserted in the sockets 26, the forward ends of the'plugs 23 shove the plugs 21 forwardly until the annular grooves 25 are in position to permit the rounded ends of the plugs 21 to enter the same, as indicated in Figs. l and 3.

The plugilS seals the rear ends of the shell 9 excepting for the sockets 26. .These sockets are snugly filled by the plugs 23 and the plug 22 is snugly received within a recess formed in the pluglS, as indicated in Fig. 4. This construction is therefore of material service in connection with automobile lanips since the access of'moisture to the lamp terminals is prevented; I have illustrated in the drawings part of a lamp case 27 upon which structure is mounted a parabolic reflector 28 with which the lamp lament is brought into focus by means of the spring 15 acting in coperation with the bayonet catch structure, as has hitherto been described.

While I have hereinshown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction shown as changes may readily be made without` de parting from the spirit of the invention,' but Having thus described the invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following:

1. A circuit closer including an element 'incense carrying terminals; a shell receiving a portion of said element; contacts within the shell and in electrical connection with said terminals and rearwardly spring pressed; cord terminals; `and means for holding the cord terminals in engagement with` said spring pressed contacts. j'

2. A circuit closer including an element carrying terminals; a shell receiving a portion of said element at the forward portion of the shell; contacts within the shell and in electrical connection with said terminals and rearwardly spring pressed; a closure for the rear of the shell and having plug receiving sockets into which said spring pressed con'- tacts are projected when said sockets are free ofl plugs; and cord terminal plugs adapted to be projected within said sockets into engagement with said spring pressed contacts.

3.. A' circuit closer including an element carrying terminals; a mounting in which said element may be inserted by its movement longitudinally of the structure; one contact for engaging one of the terminals; a second contactforv engaging the other of theterminals; a support for said contacts with respectto which one of said contacts is substantially xed and the other is movable.v

the support and the movable one of these contacts being spring pressed whereby e'ective engagement between theterminals and said contacts is assured. j

4. A connecting device including a shell for receiving a portion ofl an element with which electrical connection is to be eected; a mounting block within and movable longitudinally of the shell; a contact :terminal in Xed relation to the mounting block; a second contact terminal within and movable longitudinally of the shell and with respect to the mounting block and thereby with respect to the first contact terminal; ,and spring mechanism for forwardly pressing said Contact terminals.

5. A connecting device including a shell for receivin a portion of an element with which electrical connection is to be eected; a contact terminal that is rearwardly spring pressed and which' is alined with the bore of the shell; a plug receiving element having a lateral openln into which the rearwardly spring resse Contact terminal projects; and a p ug having a rejecting contact portion which is receiva le within said lateral opening there to engage the contact element.

In'witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 8th day of April, A.. D., 1912.

.HARRY A. DOUGLAS. y Witnesses: y

G. Ii. CRAGG, E. IJ.' v"l/VHrrn.

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